I've also started looking at trees differently, more closely.
When I first brought this little guy (juniperus procumbens nana - a typical firstling) home, it was very lush and way too full. As this is my first attempt at bonsai, I wanted to bring things down to a very sparse, open shape, so I could get an idea of how the branches looked, how to reshape the branches, how to manipulate the tree.
And, when I was looking at that lush, full tree, I saw a lovely flow between the two main branches; there was a fluid motion, an active shape that I felt needed to be exposed. So, I started chopping. And maybe I chopped a bit too much, but I like where we've ended up.
So, without further ado, pictures.
As it was in the beginning:
After the first couple prunings (notice the flow of the two main branches starting to reveal itself; maybe you'll like it, too!):
And today, I made my first attempt at wiring. I was a bit nervous about this — didn't want to do any damage (I've decided to do my damage in other ways, apparently). But, once I started in on wrapping the wire, I felt quite a lot better about it. We'll see how it went in a few weeks.
So, here's how the tree looks tonight (almost entirely bare):
Front (for now):
Back (again, for now [obviously, since if I decide to make the front the not-front, then the back can't be not the not-back]):
I still haven't decided what to do with that weird little branch that's sticking up in the middle, but I don't want to get rid of it and I don't think it looks right as it is. I'm going to sit on it for a while, though.
Looking forward to taking the wire off in a few weeks/a month to see if the branches kept their new shapes.
Also, there's a little piece of branch under one of the wired branches that I think I will try to jin when I decide the time is right to attempt that aspect of bonsai crafting.
Any advice or things to say?
